Village Link News from the Winterbournes Winter 2019 No 122 Winterbourne Post Office closes its door for the last time. (Drawing taken from the Women’s Institute scrap book) 1 Winterbourne Parish Council Councillor Dr Charles Penn (Chairman) Councillor Maureen Atkinson (Vice-Chairperson) Councillor Dr Peter Biggins Councillor Charlie Bruce-White Councillor Adrian Burrows Councillor Neil Grace Councillor Roy Judd Councillor Michael Young Unitary Councillor Mike Hewitt Any Parish related inquiries should be made in writing to the Parish Clerk in the first instance which will then be brought to the attention of the Parish Council. Melanie Thomas, Parish Clerk, Windrush, Kings Paddock, Winterslow, SP5 1RZ. Telephone: 01980 863802 Email: [email protected] Web site: http://www.winterbourneparishcouncil.com/ 2 Village Link A magazine produced by the Parish Council three times annually providing news, information and items of interest for the Winter- bournes. Delivery helpers Heather and George Shepherd, Sue Davis, Jenny Lloyd, Nikki Palmer, Sue & Don McIntyre, Maureen Homer, Charles Penn, Ian Berry- Bowers, Pam Newton, Ann Howell, Trevor Lewis, Margaret & Simon Ward, Neil Grace, Carol Biggins, Rosemary Bolwell, Isobel Rider. Deadlines for receipt of items for publication by the editor are: 14th March 2020 25th July 2020 14tth November 2020 Items that miss the deadline date are unlikely to be included. Whilst it would be preferable for items to be emailed, this is in no way compulsory and handwritten articles are also welcome. Email: [email protected] From the editor: The dominant news in this issue is of course the closure of our Post Of- fice and Store. This has been a feature of our community in one form or another for a very long time, as well described by the contribution to this issue from the Bourne Valley Historical Society. We will miss the convenience of post office services, of the shop and the other services it offered, as well as a social and information “hub”. As I put the finishing 3 touches to this issue we have news of an offer to provide a mobile post office service in the new year. This would be a most welcome life-line for many, and (hopefully) further details will be publicised in due course. In the meantime this issue contains details of alternatives for some of the services we will now be losing, and we have tried to ensure compre- hensive coverage of the many societies, groups and activities that take place in our community and which provide opportunities for activity (body and mind), social interaction and support. Contents Winterbourne Parish Council 2 Contact Numbers for Wiltshire Council (South) 6 Parish Council 7 Chairman's Report 7 Closure of Winterbourne stores & Post Office: Alternative Options 8 Winerbourne Speed watch 10 Jumble Sales 2020 12 Glebe Hall Management Committee 12 Winterbourne Glebe Hall Prices for Hiring 2020 15 Amesbury Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team 16 Volunteering 18 Bourne Valley Link Scheme 18 Interests and Activities 20 Bourne Valley Historical Society 20 Newbourne Players 25 Winterbourne Walkers 27 Coffee Club 27 Porton Flower Arranging Club 27 Bourne Valley Horticultural Society and Gardening Club 28 Bourne Valley Singers 30 Winterbourne Cricket Club 31 Club Friday 32 4 Churches 33 Bourne Valley Methodist Church 33 Anglican Parish News 34 Countryside Matters 39 Walking the Walk 39 Young Winterbourne 41 Bourne Valley Explorer Scout, Scout, Cubs and Beaver Groups 41 1st Winterbourne Rainbows 45 1st Winterbourne Brownies 48 2nd Winterbourne Brownies 49 Winterbourne Earls Church of England School 52 Welcome Pop In 55 Forthcoming Events 56 Advertisements 62 Advertising in the Village Link 72 Useful Telephone Numbers 73 Survey 74 Village Diary 75 Church Services in the Winterbournes this Christmas-tide 76 5 Contact Numbers for Wiltshire Council (South) Main number 0300 456 0100 Mincom for hard of hearing 01225 712500 Automated payments (24 hours) 0300 456 0119 Blue badges 01225 713002 Bus passes (Over 60s and disabled) 01225 713004 Council tax benefit and housing benefit 01722 434483 Council tax enquiries 01722 434222 Children’s Services 01722 438165 General enquiries 01722 336272 Homes 4 Wiltshire 01380 734734 Household waste collections 01722 434319/434320 Housing general enquiries 01722 434280 Leisure centres: Amesbury Leisure Centre 01980 622173 Durrington Leisure Centre 01980 594594 Salisbury Five Rivers Leisure Centre 01722 339966 Tisbury Leisure Centre 01747 871141 Libraries 01225 713000 Parking 01722 434326 Planning 01722 434541 Pest Control 01722 434319/434320 Recycling/black boxes – Hills Waste 0845 6032085 Registration – Births, Deaths, Marriages 01225 713007 Roads and pavements 0300 456 0105 School admissions 01225 713010 School special educational needs 01225 718095 School transport 01225 713004 Social care – adults 0300 456 0111 Social care – children 01225 773500 Website www.wiltshire.gov.uk 6 Parish Council Chairman’s report We are not alone……… Since the last issue of the village link, our community has been shocked by the realisation that our post office and shop will close (on 21st and 30th November respectively) – indeed by the time you read this, they may well have gone. Both the shop and post office have provided much needed services to the Winterbournes for well over a century and will be badly missed. As we go to press, there is hope that we may have a mobile post office service in the new year—if this falls into place we will publicise the details as soon as they are available. Times change, and our own changing habits contribute to this: use of online services for banking, mail and shopping; the recent increase lo- cally in the discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl; and new local outlets alongside housing developments (Bishopdown, Old Sarum). First I would like to record, on behalf of us all, our thanks and appreci- ation to Wendy and Trevor Merrifield and their predecessors David and Becky Baker for sustaining these services for as long as they have in the face of such pressures on the business. We are not alone in losing such essential local services. A recent DEFRA report titled “Statistical Digest of Rural England” shows that while the numbers of some businesses has increased over several years, retail businesses (* in the graph) have not. This fits with what is happening around us – as new shops arise, others close. A newspa- per headline this month reads “Britain could lose its accolade for having the world's oldest post office after the couple in charge of the 307-year-old institution announced 7 they are retiring next year”. This report is of a post office in Scotland, but other communities in Wiltshire have already had to deal with such change, and we have been looking at how they have managed. As a parish council we are limited (by law) in what we can do. In partic- ular there are clear limits on any financial commitments we might want to make. There are however things that we can do, and have been do- ing. Below you will find information on alternative services that are available nearby, are available on line, or can be delivered. We are planning to install new noticeboards so that local information is more accessible, and we have a short questionnaire available for you to record the support and help you may need in the absence of a local post office and shop (see page 74). Depending on your feedback we will do what we can do help, working with other local groups and organisations such as the Bourne Valley Link Scheme (BVLS), Community Transport and others. This may include arranging regular additional transport to Amesbury and Waitrose where a range of services are easily accessible, support for individuals through BVLS (see page 18), and assistance with on-line services such as banking and shopping. So please do return the questionnaire – let us know what we can do to help. You are not alone. Charles Penn, Chairman, Winterbourne Parish Council Closure of Winterbourne stores & Post Office: Alterna- tive Options Post Office closes 21st November, shop 30th November. Nearest Post Office services: Porton PO & Nisa Store 34 Winterslow Road, Porton, Salisbury SP4 0LF. 01980 610258. Shop and Post Office open 7am to 9pm Monday to Saturday & 7am to 8pm Sunday. ATM machine for cash withdrawal at £1 per transaction. Cashback up to £30 per day available with a purchase from the shop. Other nearby Post Offices with access to other shops and services: Sub Post Office Bishopdown, 35 Barrington Way, Salisbury. SP1 5JD. 8 Open 6am - 10pm ATM machine (2.9 miles) Sub Post Office Waitrose, Salisbury. Open 7.30am – 8.00pm Monday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm Sundays. ATM machine, Dry Cleaners (4.2 miles) Main Post Office Amesbury, 16 Salisbury Street. SP4 7HD. Open 9am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am – 1pm Saturday (5 miles) Newspaper Delivery Dave Rawkins: 01980 610465/07980 910962. Subscription vouchers accepted. Milk Round Milk & More: https://www.milkandmore.co.uk/we-deliver On line registration and ordering only. No telephone option. Also de- liver groceries. Shop Deliveries Supermarket deliveries: Tesco/Waitrose/Ocado/ASDA/Sainsbury. Online ordering only. If you need assistance contact Maureen 01980 611311. Riverford Life on the Veg. 01803 227227 or at www.riverford.co.uk Telephone or online ordering. Fruit, vegetables and some groceries. Pre-cooked meals: Wiltshire Farm Foods. Delivery Wednesday and Friday mornings 01225 776793 or at www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com. Telephone or online ordering. Oakhouse Foods. Delivery Thursday afternoon 0333 370 2521 or at www.oakhousefoods.co.uk.Telephone or online ordering. Online access Contact Maureen on 01980 611311 who may be able to source some help. Transport Bus route 66 Salisbury to Shipton Bellinger. www.salisburyreds.co.uk/ services/SQ/66 Bourne Valley Link Scheme Tel: 01980 611117.